Combined latch and dovetail structure



COMBINED LATCH AND DOVETAIL STRUCTURE Filed April 23, 1936 Patented Jan. 1s, 194e PATENT oFFicE COMBINED' LATUH AND DOTVETAIL STRUCTURE Robert W. Butler, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner, by

mesne assignmentato United Specialties Coinpany, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of BelavApplication April 23, 1936, Serial No. 75,915

3 Claims.

l The improvement has been designed particularly for use with automobile doors. The wellknown practice vheretofore has been to provide the edge of the door with a 'spring-pressed retractable latch bolt for cooperation with a latch keeper cr striker plate mounted on the door frame, and to provide-separate ,dovetail members, mounted independently of the latch members on the `door and door frame respectively, for properly alii-ling the door when it isrnoved into completely closed position and for preventing undesirable noise or rattling due to vvibration. of the door with respect to the frame when the door is in its closed position;

In accordance with the present improvement, one ofthe dovetail Vmembers is combined with one ofthe latch members` and the combined structure is'securedto the door frame, and the other 4dovetail member is associated with the Aother latch member on the free verticaly edge between, and thebearing members of the dovev tail socket are spaced from the striker plate so as to receive the parts ofthe wedge element between these bearing members and the striker plate.

The invention has for oneof its objects" the provision of a combined latch and dovetail device which is so constructed as to properly position the door during the nal closing movement thereof and` to rigidly retain the door in its'closed position. Another object of the inventionisthe provision, in a combined device of this character, of amstructure which will properly support the door when in closed position and prevent` undesirable vibration thereof with respect to the door frame.

A further object of the invention` is the provision of a combined latch element and dovetail element `wherein the bearing members of the dovetail element are movable relatively to' each other into proper makeup position with respect to the bearing members of the other dovetail element as thev door is moved into closed position, at lthe same time `forming a rigid'support for the door when in its closed position. It is alsdan object of the invention to provide a combined dovetail and latch structure in which the bearing members of the dovetail wedge element are movable relatively to each otherin the direction of movement of the door into and out of ,closing position. I A still further object of the invention is the provision of a combined striker plate and dovetail element wherein the bearing members of one of the dovetail elements are directly supported by the striker plate for adjustment therewith. Theinvention has for a still further object a reduction in the cost of installation of the latch elements and the dovetail elements uponan automobile.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken 'with the accompanying drawing wherein: Fig. `1 is a rear elevational View, partly broken away and partly in section, of the dovetail wedge member and associated latch bolt shown in section, and a 4iront elevational View of the combined striker plate and dovetail socket member utilized therewith; v

FigaZ is a view similar to Fig. LshOWing the parts in the position which they occupy `when the door is fully closed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of the wedge member of the dovetail structure,

`with the movable bearing blocks omitted;

Fig. 4 isi a vertical sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; e Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View taken` on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

l Fig. 6 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of the combined striker plate and dovetail socket member shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4;

lit;

Fig. 7 `is a perspective view of one of the mov.-

able bearingr blocks of the dovetail wedge member; and i Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modied form of bearing element for the dovetail Wedge member. v

As illustrated in the drawing, the dovetail wedge member is associated with a spring-pressed retractable latch bolt l projecting outwardly from the free vertical edge 2 or' the door 3 and having suitable handles mounted on the door for retracting the same from latching position. The wedge member preferably comprises an elongated base plated having one face thereof adapted to be secured to the vertical edge of the door bymeans of screws 5 extending through openings 6 in thebase plate, through alined openings in thefedge ci the door, and threaded into a retainer plate iI on the inside of the edge of the door. o I

The latch bolt I is supported on the door in a position to project outwardly through the 'edge door, with the opposite ends thereof spaced substantially equal distances above and below the latch bolt. The opposite ends of the base plate 4 are provided with recesses B on the outerface thereof forming guideways for a pair vof movable bearing blocks 9. The'base plate 4 forms the rear wall of each recess, and eachA recess is preferably provided with a bottom wall iii in the form of a ledge arranged transversely of the base plate, a side wall II and an end wall I2, all formed integrally with the base plate.

The bearing blocks 9 are inserted in the guide- Ways 8 through the open frontends, and each block is `held in its guideway against movement away from the other by means of a retaining rib I3 arranged lengthwise of the edgekof the'block for engagement within a groove I4 in the rear wall of the guideway. Inward movement of each bearing block S3 in its guideway is resisted by means of acoiled spring I5 having one end seated Within a recess I6 in the side of the bearing block adjacent the wall II and the opposite end surrounding a pin Il projecting inwardly from'the end wall I2. A cylindrical block i8 of compressible felt or other material having lubricant incorporated therein may be encased within each of the coiled springs l5 for the purpose of lubricating contacting portions of the bearing block, the guideway and the spring. Movement of each bearing block 9 in the opposite direction is limited y by a stop pin. I9 secured in an opening in thev inner tok wall of the recess with one end projecting into the groove I4 in the path of movement of the outer end of the retaining rib I3, this end of the rib terminating short of the end of the block as will be clear from Fig. '1. n

'Ihe'remote faces of the bearing blocks 9 extend outwardly beyond the free edges `of their respective side walls and form bearing surfaces '20 which are preferably spaced substantially equally above and below the latch bolt l. The bearing surfaces preferably converge toward each other in the direction of the latch bolt in order to' form the tapered wedge element of the dovetail structure. The bearing blocks may be provided with a lip portion 2l which is arranged to extend over the edge of the end wall l2 when the blocks are in their retracted position as shown in Fig. 2, and serves to cover the end of the recess 8 when the blocks are in their forward position as shown in Fig. l.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the surfaces 22 of the walls I0, upon which the blocks 9 are supported, are preferably so arranged as tol diverge from each other to a slight extent in the direction of the latch bolt I so that the bearing blocks may have a slight movement toward each other as the door moves into fully closed position.' This ar rangement of the bearing surfaces 22 eliminates the tendency 'of the bearing blocks to jam against these surfaces during' the make-up of the dovetail elements as the door is being closed.y

The unitary striker plate and dovetail socket member shown in Figs. i and 6 comprises a base plate 23 having the inner face thereof adapted tobev secured to the face of the door frame 24. The outer'face of the base plate 23 is provided with a plurality of tapered keeper members 25 position.

the bolt and striker plate are not properly alined.

v A rigid bearing member 28 is formed on each end of the base plate 23 on the outer face thereof. The bearing members 23 are in alinement with the striker plate and each is spaced from the striker plate to such an extent that the cooperating bearing blockv 9 and its guideway 8 may freely enter between the same and the striker plate, The opposing faces of the fixed bearing members 28 arepro-vided with diverging bearing surfaces 29 withf which the converging bearing surfaces 2li on the remote faces of the bearing blocks 9 engage as the door moves into closed The inner face of the base plate 23 is preferably provided with a plurality of vertically arranged grooves 30 for cooperation with corresponding ribs 3 l( pressed outwardly from the door frame 24. The combined striker plate and dovetail socket' member,v is retained in position on the door frame 24 by means of screws 32 extending throughv suitable openings 33 in the base'plate,

With such a structure it will be apparent thatv the combined striker plate and socket member may be readily'adjusted both vertically and hori zontally with respect to the door frame in order thatit may be properly positioned to cooperate withk the latch bolt and theA dovetail wedge member.

When the device is in use with a door and its frame, the bearing surfaces ZIJof the two slidable bearing blocks `9 engage with the bearing surfaces 29 of the dovetail Vsocket member substantially simultaneously when the door is moved into its closed position, if the door is in proper alinement with the door frame and the combined striker plate and dovetail socket member is adjusted on the door frame for proper cooperation ywith the o latch bolt and associated dovetail wedge member.

corresponding bearing surfaces 29 vof the socketk element. Thereupon the two bearing blocks 9 move backwardly in' their respective guideways until the dovetail elements are completely made up and the parts are in. position for the latch bolt to engage with the main catch element to retain the door in its closed'position.

When the door is unusually heavy. or for some other reason has a tendencyto sag to an unusual extent, it may be desirable to utilize a fixed bearing kmember in place of the movable bearing block 9 at the lower end of the dovetail wedge member. A form ofl fixed bearing member suitable for this purpose is illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawing.

In this form the guideway at the lower end of member 36 is formed on the base plate instead. An inclined bearing surface 31 is provided on bearing member 36 for cooperation with the bearing surface 29 of the lower bearing member 28. With this form of wedge member a sagged door is lifted into proper closing position when the bearing surface 31 comes into contact with the lower bearing surface 29, and the upper bearing block 9 yields inwardly, when it engages the upper bearing member 28, to permit proper make-up of the dcvetail so that the door may be fully closed. l

While specific forms 'and arrangements of the Various parts of the improved structure have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the disclosure is illustrative only and that changes in form and arrangement of the elements may be made without departing from the invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claims.

What is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dcvetail wedge member comprising an elongated vbase plate having one face thereof adapted to be secured to the edge of a door and a guideway on the opposite face at each end thereof, the guideways being spaced from each yother to receive a striker plate therebetween, a

pair of bearing blocks slidably mounted in the l guideways and having bearing surfaces projecting from the guideways on' the facesof the blocks sliding movement of the blocks in one direction, and resilient means for resisting sliding movement of the blocks in the opposite direction.

2. A dcvetail wedge member comprising an elongated base plate having one face thereof adapted to be secured to the edge of a door, a ledge extending transversely of said lbase plate on the opposite face thereof adjacent each end, the ledges being spaced from each other to receive a striker plate therebetween, a pair of bearing members slidably supported on the surfaces of said ledges remote from each other, the faces of said bearing members remote from each other converging in one direction, resilient means for resisting movement of said bearing members in the opposite direction, and means for retaining said bearing members on said ledges.

3. A dcvetail wedge member comprising an elongated base plate having one face thereof adapted to be secured to the edge of a door, a ledge extending transversely of said base plate on the opposite face thereof adjacent each end, the ledges being spaced from each other to receive a striker plate therebetween, the faces of the ledges remote from each other forming bearing surfaces converging in one direction, a rigid bearing member slidably supported on each of said bearing surfaces, resilient means for opposing movement of said bearing members in said direction, the faces of the bearing members remote from each other converging in the opposite direction.

`ROBERT W. BUTLER; 

